As any other week, another few releases by Korean artists are featured in the ORICON daily and weekly rankings.

Cube Entertainment’s youngest boy group BTOB recently revealed their plans to release “WOW” as a debut in Japan. The single was eventually revealed on November 12th, reaching a 6th place on the daily ORICON rankings. They were followed by 5TION, who ended up on a 12th spot with “Rise&Shine (Shiny Day/ 10pun arukeba/more than words – Japanese ver.)”. The single was also released on the same day.

Topping the charts for Korean artists in the weekly charts is TVXQ, having sold 106,970 copies of their latest single “Time Works Wonder” since its release on November 5th. They are being followed by CODE-V on the 10th spot. Their newest single “Never Ending Story” was good for 11,987 copies. NU’ESTdebuted last week with the release of their first single “Shalala Ring”. The song reached a 16th place with 8,282 copies sold.

On the 9th episode of “Plus Nine Boys” set to air on the 26th, Kang Mingu (played by Yook Sungjae) and Han Sooah (played by Park Chorong) will be sharing an adorable kiss in which the still cut photos of that scene have been released by tvN staff.

In the photos, Kang Mingu and Han Sooah are in a quiet library where they are studying for what looks like an upcoming exam—or at least Sooah is anyway, while Mingu just stares at his new girlfriend.

However, in the next scene when the two are walking down the aisles of bookshelves, Sungjae plants a cutesy and affectionate surprise kiss on Chorong’s lips.

Though in the earlier episodes we thought that Han Sooah was a high school student just like Kang Mingu, in episode 5, it was hinted that she is older when she told her friends how Mingu is “still just a high school teenager.” The reactions of her friends, “You’re leading on such a young boy!” hinted that she wasn’t quite the same age as Mingu. The exact age of her character has not yet been revealed, but many viewers are anticipating that moment.

Mingu and Sooah became an official couple at the end of last week’s episode 8 when the two lovebirds attended a “Standing Egg” concert and Mingu performed a special song with the band dedicated to Sooah. She later accepted his confession and agreed to go out with him.

The 2014 K-Culture Festival, scheduled to be held in Germany, has now officially been cancelled by the organizers of the concert. In a message to sent to attendees, the organizers claim they will not be able to refund VVIP tickets.

The event was originally scheduled to be held on September 12th and 13th, as a major cultural event. Described as “a major event where visitors can get a glimpse of Korea’s traditional culture and pop culture through art exhibitions, performances and food.”. The lineup featured Ailee, MBLAQ, BTOB, VIXX, GOT7, BLOCK B, and many more.

Unfortunately, the event’s expected attendance of 10,000 were abruptly told that the event would be cancelled. The organizers personal Facebook page was deleted suddenly, leaving fans with questions about refunds, flight preparations and more.

Cube Entertainment revealed through their Twitter and Facebook Page account concept images for BTOB’s 3rd mini-album’s 1st single, “When I Was Your Man.” Their upcoming 3rd mini-album will mark their return after a 4 month hiatus.

The photos showcases sophisticated, but sweet images of the members, who each emit a gentle charm.

“When I Was Your Man” will have a unique, retro R&B feel and will showcase BTOB’s rich and powerful vocals. While this track is set to be released sometimes next week, the mini-album is not set to be released till early September.

One of the recent activities of BEAST‘s member Yong Junhyung is his collaboration with BTOB. CJ E&M agency has uploaded the said video onto its official Youtube channel for the fans to firstly experience the music video entitled “First Love,” a great team work for both kpop group members. It turns out to be a hit and perfectly blend in terms of music arrangements.
“First Love” used as the OST of the popular Mnet drama “Monstar” in which Yong Jun Hyung also participate in along with some Korea’s rising actors namely Ha Yeon Soo and Kang Ha Neul. The drama tells a story about Yong Jun Hyung character as an idol member which is not far from his current position as part of a group called Men in Black along with the participation of BTOB members as well.
“First Love” is said to be available for download for free on online music sites, It is made available to the public for free download due to the hit drama and it’s OST which is a popular demand after the song was first heard on episode six of “Monstar.” The lyrics entails a deep meaning while Yong Jun Hyung portrays his character as feeling frustrated, regretful, and having his first love. The music producer of “Monstar,” Postino, was the mind behind this popular song.
The music video features between Yong Jun Hyung’s character, Yoon Seol Chan, and Ha Yeon Soo’s character, Min Se Yi, having the feeling of falling in love. It is a montage which was cut with only the scenes of Yong Jun Hyung and BTOB rehearsing “First Love,”which highlighted the scenes that crossover between reality and fiction. But Of course we all know that they are real kpop idols.

The annual “Dream Concert 2013” took place on May 11th at the Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul, celebrating their 19th concert. Dream Concert is one of the biggest concerts of the year in which several, current popular artists are invited to join and perform in front of their loving fans.

11th annual Korea Times Music Festival releases 1st lineup

Korea Times revealed the official date for their 11th annual Korea Times Music Festival at Hollywood Bowl in late December, and three months later, the first lineup for the popular concert has finally been released!

On April 27, 2013, the following artists have been confirmed to attend and perform, including: